


A Riddle

by Masterpiece_of_turkey_cleverness



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fae, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Fae wander around naked, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-07
Updated: 2019-11-07
Packaged: 2021-01-24 15:51:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21340783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Masterpiece_of_turkey_cleverness/pseuds/Masterpiece_of_turkey_cleverness
Summary: Prince Castiel accidentally wanders through a fairy ring...only to find out that the Fae are hunting humans for their blood.
Relationships: Castiel/Sam Winchester
Comments: 11
Kudos: 43
Collections: Sastiel Reverse Bang 2019





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm so excited to finally post this! First, a huge THANK YOU to my artist, Marichromatic! She not only drew the initial piece that got the story started but also gave me lots of great feedback on the story as I wrote it--and THEN she drew another piece! I was so honored to get her art, and I hope I've done it some justice here. 
> 
> I also have to thank WarlockWriter, who kindly beta'ed the fic!

Castiel looked up sharply when the light dimmed and an enormous old tree appeared in front of him. It hadn’t been there a moment ago, and he glanced around, confused. The forest he’d been in was one of his father’s, and most of the trees had been cut down a hundred years or so ago to build nearby villages. Now he was surrounded by trees that were easily hundreds of years old, and the light illuminating the area was being filtered through layers upon layers of leaves.

He took a few steps closer to the tree in front of him to inspect it more closely, but it looked even more ancient up close. How-- Castiel glanced behind him, and his eyes widened. “That isn’t possible,” he murmured, moving closer to the perfectly round ring of mushrooms he’d spotted. “Fae’s just a story for kids. There’s no such thing as fairy rings!”

“Wrong, mortal,” said an eerie female voice from behind him. He turned, and spied a young woman with moss-green hair and extremely pale skin with black spots in it. Her skin looked as if it were peeling off in a few places, and she wasn’t wearing any clothes. She smiled at him. It wasn’t a nice smile, and it showed off the fact that she had the pointed teeth as well as the slitted green eyes of a cat. “Sisters!” she called. “Human blood!”

A cacophony of screeches sounded from the forest behind her. Castiel’s eyes went wide, and his heart started to pound. He did the only sensible thing in the situation, given that he’d never become a knight like his father, the King, had wanted and he wasn’t carrying anything larger than a utilitarian belt knife--he turned and ran as fast as he could in the opposite direction. Judging by their calls, this just excited the forest women...no...dryads. His mind, ever logical and organized, provided him the term, even though he hadn’t read about Faerie since he was a child.

_Great, Castiel,_ he told himself, _Now you know what’s going to kill you. Too bad it’s going to kill you._

The forest, thankfully, had little in the way of underbrush. Castiel sprinted for a few minutes--the dryads seemed to have given him a head start, or perhaps they were slow--and finally glanced behind him. It was his undoing; he tripped over a root sticking out from one of the gigantic trees and went head over heels. His satchel went flying away from him, and when he came down, his head connected hard with another root. He let out a cry of pain, but scrambled into a semi-sitting position with his back against the tree so he could at least see his surroundings. At first, he saw nothing but the contents of his satchel strewn about a small clearing, and then more forest. Only…

Only the thing standing in front of him was not a young tree, as he’d initially thought. As his eyes finally picked it out from the background of the forest, he watched it squat down from an impossibly tall height, leaving its head only a foot or two above his. Castiel froze in place as the slitted eyes of the faun studied him from much closer than he was comfortable with. Even though its legs seemed to bend the wrong way and it had hooves instead of feet, Castiel could tell by the graceful way it moved that it could easily tackle him before he could even draw his belt knife. The faun also had a wicked-looking obsidian dagger at its belt. His belt. The faun was very much a he; the belt was not being used to hold up any clothing, and the faun was bare-chested.

After a moment during which Castiel’s stomach sunk into the ground beneath him, the faun smiled, but much more softly than the dryad had. He reached out one long arm and put a finger to Castiel’s lips, shushing the human. Castiel, unable to do anything else, gave a slight nod. The fawn’s smile widened, and it stood up and then strode around the tree. Castiel tried to stand up, but he was still dizzy from the blow to the head, so he started to crawl toward his satchel and its contents instead.

A sharp, male voice spoke from somewhere behind him. “Sisters! This land is _mine_.”

“We are hunting a human!” came the reply.

“Nevertheless,” insisted the faun. “Go around.”

There was some muttering amongst the women, but then finally their cries split and headed around the tree Castiel was under, disappearing off to either side of him.

Castiel knew he may have fallen out of the proverbial frying pan and into the fire, so he started to put his things back into his satchel as fast as he could once he reached it--he couldn’t lose his notes and his journal. He _had_ to show his father that a scholar could be useful, could fix problems a knight couldn’t.

“Are you all right?” asked a deep voice, behind him. He glanced over his shoulder, and saw the faun had come back and was standing nearby.

Castiel started to shake. He’d never been much of a fighter, and he was completely out of his depth here. “Yes,” he replied, forcing himself to stand up, clutching his satchel close. He wavered, but he managed to stay upright. Somehow, he knew it would be a bad idea to show weakness here in the Faerie realm.

“You are bleeding,” said the faun, eyes fixed on his scalp. “I will make you a deal, human. Stay three days with me. Each day, I will ask one thing of you, and you will give it to me. At the end of three days, I will create a fairy ring and send you home if you wish. In the meantime, I promise to keep you safe from all harm and not harm you myself.”

Castiel went over that in his pounding head. The proposal didn’t sound unfair. He’d heard stories of Fae tricking humans when he was little, though, so he thought he’d clarify a few points before he agreed. “Three days in your world or in mine?”

The faun smiled, as if approving of Castiel for noticing the loophole. “Three days in both. When fairy rings are open, time runs similarly in both worlds. It is when all the portals are closed that mortals feel as if days have passed here when years have passed in their world. There are enough rings open now that it will be three days both here and in your world.”

Castiel started to nod, but the throbbing in his head stopped him. He could still feel blood running down the side of his head, but he knew head wounds often bled for a while. “What about...you asking for anything is too much. I should be able to say no, especially if I can’t do it for some reason.”

The faun nodded at him again, still with that secretive smile. “Fair. What if...you must listen to my reasons why I’m asking if you refuse to do something and then reconsider, but you can ultimately say no and I will ask you for something else until we can find something you can agree to.”

Castiel considered. According to the stories, Fae couldn’t lie. Twist the truth, but not lie outright. His options were basically to take the faun at his word or to go back out into the forest where the dryads had been, and the faun was clearly his better option. “Very well. I accept.”

The faun’s eyes lit up. “Wonderful,” he said. “Come with me.” He turned and strode off into the woods, using an odd rolling gait that looked slow but covered the distance quickly. Castiel adjusted the strap of his satchel and then followed, occasionally having to jog a step or two to keep up.

Within minutes, they were at a much larger clearing in the forest where the grass grew thick along a stream bed. There were a few items--a brown jug, a wooden flute, and so on--set against trees around the clearing. “This is my home,” explained the faun, “Welcome, honored guest.”

Castiel couldn’t see how a place with no roof could be considered home, but after a moment or two he settled down against a tree. He had to admit, the grass was springy and comfortable. “Thank you.”

“You may drink water from the stream, but otherwise eat and drink only what I say. There are many foods in Faerie which affect mortals strangely.”

“Very well.” Castiel actually had his own waterskin, and he took a drink from this. The faun watched him; it was a bit unsettling--the being’s eye color kept changing in the dappled light, and it seemed that every bit of his attention was on the human.

“You are not afraid of me,” the faun noted once Castiel had finished drinking.

That wasn’t entirely true; Castiel had no idea what he’d gotten himself into or if the faun would keep his word. But the faun definitely seemed...safer...than the dryads he’d met when he first stepped into Faerie. “You don’t seem to want to hurt me,” he explained.

The faun’s lips quirked upward, and then he tilted his head sideways, like a bird, as he threw himself down on the grass. “What shall I call you, mortal?”

Castiel opened his mouth to give the being his full name, but remembered just in time that the Fae were rumored to be able to hold mortals in thrall with their true names. “...Cas,” he said after a moment.

The fae’s eyes twinkled with humor. “You may call me Sam.” He stretched out on his back, crossing one long leg over the other. “May I make my first request?”

Castiel thought about that, but didn’t see any harm in it. “You may,” he replied.

“Gather the blood that is not yet dry from your head, and press it to the earth, in between the grass stalks.” Sam turned his head so he was watching Castiel closely.

“Why?” Castiel asked more out of curiosity than fear.

“The River Queen has said that if a Fae brings mortal blood to this world, the river will run again. Otherwise, it will continue to dry up. I do not think she meant spilling mortal blood on the ground, but it is worth a try. Sometimes the simplest answers are best.”

Castiel sat up straight. “The Windy River?!? That’s what I’m here--I was here--well, there--I was trying to figure out why the river was drying up. Trade along the river is very important to my kingdom, so my--the king sent me here to determine what was happening to the river. I wandered away from my friends, and must have stepped through a fairy ring.” At the last minute, he decided not to tell Sam he was the King’s son; best not to let the faun know he had a prince he could potentially ransom, even if he did seem safer than the dryads.

Sam beamed. “I, too, would like the river to rise once more.” He gestured at his tiny tributary. “I am trying to do as the Elder instructed. I suspect there is more to it than to introduce mortal blood to our soil--I am sure there are many like my sisters, who are already doing so by opening rings and hunting humans. But I also wish to rule it out.”

“Of course,” Castiel said. He reached up to the side of his head, and, though it hurt and he winced, gathered some still-wet blood from the wound. He then pushed aside the grass in front of him with one hand, and pressed his bloody hand to the bare earth. He held it there a moment or two, and Sam sat up and looked away from him, presumably in the direction of the main river.

After a few seconds, the faun looked back and sighed. “I did not think it would be that easy.”

Castiel wiped his bloody hand on the grass, and shrugged. “It was still worth trying,” he said. “So...this River Queen controls the flow of the river on your side?”

“On both sides,” Sam corrected. “She is very powerful.”

“Then, if I help you, I help my kingdom as well,” Castiel said, his excitement mounting. He pulled out his ink, quill, and journal. “Can you tell me exactly, word for word, what she said?” He opened the journal to a new page, dipped his quill in the ink, and held it poised over the book.

Sam sat up, and smiled; this time, there was clearly warmth in it. “Yes. ‘Blessed is he that bringeth mortal blood to our world, for he will cause the river to rise again.”

Castiel frowned, but carefully wrote the statement down in his journal--without Sam needing to repeat it. His father thought he’d wasted his life becoming a scholar, but now his skills were coming in handy. “It’s a riddle.”

“Most things in Faerie are,” Sam chuckled. Castiel liked the sound of his voice; it was rich and melodious. He briefly wondered what Sam would sound like if he sang, but then put the thought out of his mind to ponder the statement.

Castiel glanced down at what he’d written. “I see a couple of things here. First, it doesn’t actually say that bringing mortal blood to the world is what will cause the river to rise. It just says that the same person will do both.”

Sam nodded. “Agreed. And I do not believe bringing mortal blood to this world means killing humans.”

Castiel shook his head. “Me either. Blood has several meanings in ancient texts, and it might be the same here. Sometimes blood refers to women, because of their cycles, and sometimes it just means ‘the people of the land’ in general.” He blushed a little when he mentioned women. His father kept trying to marry him off, but Castiel never felt comfortable with it. It wasn’t that he was asexual; he just...wasn’t attracted to women. Especially the women his father chose for him.

“An interesting thought,” Sam said, tilting his head to the side. “Many of us have mortal blood in us, from grandparents or great-grandparents who wandered into Faerie. Perhaps we need an influx of that, every so often.”

“That would certainly fit the riddle. I could go back to my king and try to convince him to find people who were willing to come to Faerie and settle here, although you’d probably have to guarantee their safety.”

Sam tapped a finger to his chin. “Let me consider that. Does the riddle give you any other ideas?”

Castiel jotted down a quick note about settlers. “Hmm. Not really. I don’t suppose we can ask the River Queen questions?”

Sam gave a quick laugh. “I could not guarantee your safety if you tried that.” He smiled at Castiel, then added, “Sometimes, blood also refers specifically to a royal bloodline, does it not? I do not suppose your king might be willing to part with a child or two?”

Castiel started to shake his head, but paused. “The king’s first five children are already married. The sixth...well, he doesn’t like women that way, so he, ah, might not be able to get one pregnant…” He was scarlet by the time he was finished.

Sam grinned from ear to ear. “It is no matter. The Fae’s method of conceiving children is...unique. Two are needed, but no woman’s womb is necessary.”

Castiel frowned. “What do you mean?” Sure, he might not be attracted to women, but he’d heard plenty from his older brothers about how babies were made.

Sam threw back his head and laughed. “Magic,” he managed finally, and then he crawled a little closer to Castiel. “Of course, he might have to marry a Fae of royal blood. Luckily, Oberon and Titania’s children are...numerous.”

Castiel considered that. It might not be so bad, if he could marry someone like Sam. Regardless, it would be his responsibility to do so, if his father thought it worth trying. He suspected his father would consider it a small price to pay for a very large potential gain; after all, it wasn’t as if he was his father’s favorite son. “Are...are you one of them?”

Sam scoffed. “A child of Titania or Oberon? No. I am just a simple faun.” He sat back. “I think we now know where to start. If you wish the river to rise again, when you go back to your world, you will ask your King to give us his youngest son. We will gather Oberon and Titania’s male children, if such is the prince’s preference, and he can choose one he finds pleasing and marry them.” He was nodding slowly as he was talking, one of his horns flashing as it intermittently caught the light. “Hopefully, that will satisfy the River Queen. If not, we can try bringing more people over from your world and marrying them to the Fae. Protecting more than a single person will not be simple, however.”

Castiel looked back at his notes in the journal and nodded. “I think you’re right,” he said. “That makes the most sense. Er...the prince, ah...he would be safe, though?”

“Completely. His mate’s status would protect him as much as anything. No one would dare touch him, especially if the river rises once he arrives. I am not the only Fae who depends on it,” Sam explained.

Castiel nodded. “Then I believe I can convince my king to agree to this.”

“Wonderful. Well then. You should rest, and drink more water. I will go get you something safe to eat,” Sam said, bounding to his feet. Well, hooves. Castiel had been right; the faun could move very quickly when he wanted to.

After an hour or so, Sam returned with a rabbit, which they cooked over a small fire and shared. Castiel asked Sam a number of questions about Faerie, and in turn Sam asked many questions about the ‘real’ world. Castiel finally fell asleep with his head pillowed on his satchel, stretched out on the surprisingly comfortable grass.

The next morning, Sam had another rabbit cooking, and he’d also brought some berries which Castiel recognized from his world. Sam said they were safe, and Castiel trusted him enough to eat them. It was worth it; they were even more delicious in Fae than they were in Castiel’s world.

Sam kept casting sidelong glances at Castiel as they ate, and finally Castiel tilted his head to the side. “What is it?” he asked.

“I am...not sure how to ask for my daily request,” Sam explained. “I do not understand human customs as well as I thought. And I consider myself something of a scholar on humans.”

“A scholar?” Castiel glanced around the clearing; the scholars he knew were always surrounded by books. The one in front of him was surrounded by, well, forest.

“Fae rely almost entirely on word of mouth and memory,” Sam explained, nodding to Castiel’s ever-present satchel. “Our documents are few and far between. Only a handful of us know how to read and write. It is a skill I have always coveted.”

Castiel blinked; he hadn’t expected that. “Would you like to learn?” he asked. “I could teach you. And maybe you could teach me more about the Fae?”

Sam’s whole face lit up, and his eyes turned a bright yellow. “You would teach me to read and write? And you offer another bargain. Someone truly should explain the Fae to you, so you know how to negotiate the Prince’s marriage contract without giving offense or making a poor bargain. I accept. I will teach you what you need to know about our people, if you will teach me to read and write.”

“Wonderful! There’s some sand by the stream; it’s probably best if we start off with you drawing letters,” Castiel said, standing up and moving the few yards over to the edge of the stream. The foot of mixed sand and clay at the edge spoke to the overall decline of the main river nearby, but it also made an excellent chalkboard. Castiel settled himself cross-legged at the edge of the dirt. Sam followed him, preferring to squat on his haunches. “The first thing most children learn are the letters of the alphabet,” Castiel began, picking up a stick so he could sketch the first letter.

Castiel found Sam to be a quick learner; he soon had the hang of the alphabet, and the sounds that most of the letters stood for. He was stuck on a few more obscure letters that didn’t always make the same sound, but by the early afternoon he was starting to remember and understand even those.

Meanwhile, Sam told Castiel about his people. Castiel had been right--the Fae could not tell an outright lie. Sam begged him to say that the sky was made of fruit, just to hear him tell an untruth. It felt strange, but Castiel said it anyway, and the delighted laugh he got out of Sam was worth it. The faun did explain that while the Fae always told the truth, they regularly exploited loopholes in agreements--if something was not specifically stated in a contract, one could not consider it part of the bargain. He also noted that to renege on a bargain with a Fae meant instant death for a mortal, and that even things said in passing could be considered bargains, particularly if a Fae was not kindly disposed toward the mortal.

Sam told Castiel that Fae were created, not born, as adults, and thus they did not need a woman’s body to gestate--hence any two beings in Faerie could create Fae children if they wished. Castiel blushed all over when Sam explained that sex therefore had nothing to do with children, and that the Fae regularly had sex with each other regardless of gender or body type--mating or marriage only meant that they planned to have children, not that they would only have sex with one another. Of course, choosing to have multiple sex partners or not also depended on the fae’s predispositions. Castiel made a mental note to try to include a statement regarding sex in the marriage contract; he wasn’t sure he was comfortable marrying someone who regularly went off and had sex with other people.

By the end of the lengthy discussion, which didn’t seem to bother Sam in the least, Castiel had turned a deep red. Sam tilted his head to the side to study the mortal. “My request for the day is that you answer a question completely and truthfully,” Sam said after a few moments. “Why do you blush so hard when we talk about an act so simple, all the animals and plants in both worlds know how to do it?”

Castiel, though it shouldn’t have been possible, turned even redder at the question. “It’s...humans are different,” though at the moment, he couldn’t think why, “We are supposed to wait to, ah, have sex, until we’re married. Otherwise...there can be children out of wedlock,” he hastened to add.

“...So?” Sam’s confused face was awfully cute, despite the horns and sharp teeth. Castiel was slowly learning that while Sam was a lot like him in many ways, he was very different in others, particularly where societal norms were concerned.

“So, um...that’s not good for the children,” Castiel finished, a little lamely.

“What if a woman wants to lie with another woman, or a man with a man? That can’t produce children the way you do in the mortal world,” Sam pointed out with a shrug.

“That’s...um...well,” Castiel closed his eyes; it was easier to say it when Sam’s face wasn’t /right/ there--one of the ways in which they differed was that Sam tended to give Castiel much less personal space than another human would. “We’re...not supposed to do that.”

“Why?”

“Because, well, God created man to, um, lie with woman and vice-versa.” Castiel managed to stammer out.

Sam snorted at this. “Your god, not mine.”

The statement caused Castiel’s eyes to open, and his brow furrowed at the nonchalant way Sam had just dismissed his entire belief system. “You...have...another God?” he asked.

“We have many,” Sam replied, still eyeing Castiel from an uncomfortably close distance. “But that is not the whole truth. That is not the only reason you turn red when we talk about sex. Tell me.”

Damn Sam for being so perceptive! Castiel regained the blush he’d had earlier, and tried to decide what to tell his companion. “Well...um…” He wondered which secret was worse. “Well. I like men, even though I’m not supposed to,” he blurted out, figuring that might be a safer admission, since Sam obviously didn’t care one way or another from the way he’d spoken earlier.

“Ahhh, that is how you knew about the Prince,” Sam nodded, filing away the information in that large brain of his. “Are you two in love?”

“Um. No,” Castiel replied, shaking his head. “No, I just, ah, noticed.” _Smooth, Castiel,_ his brain told him. “Because we are alike.” After all, he _was_ very much like himself.

Sam smirked. “And what else?” He asked it almost gently. “You blush because you think it is wrong, although I still cannot fathom why, but that is not the only reason.”

Castiel wilted; Sam had cornered him. “I’ve, uh. I’ve never done it before,” he admitted finally.

“Ahhh, there is the full truth,” Sam’s eyes were sparkling, and he raised his head up. “Surely you’ve at least kissed someone.”

Castiel suddenly dropped his gaze back to their impromptu chalkboard. He knew his blush answered for him, but he also shook his head.

Sam made a surprised noise in the back of his throat, and then reached out to put his fingers under Castiel’s chin. “May I have the honor?” he asked, leaning closer. Castiel’s eyes snapped up to his, and Castiel realized that they constantly changed color, even up close like this--right now, they had gone a deep blue. He stared at Sam for a moment, and then he nodded.

Sam smiled and closed the distance between them. He started the kiss with nothing more than a press of his lips to Cas’, then gently coaxed Castiel to open his mouth so he could do some downright sinful things with his tongue. The Prince was stiff when the kiss began, but slowly relaxed and kissed back as best he could given that he’d never done it before. He liked the feeling quite a bit; he wasn’t sure if every kiss was like this or if he was specifically attracted to Sam, but he knew, when they finally broke apart for air, that he wanted more.

There was mirth in Sam’s eyes, although not an excessive amount. “You liked it?” he asked, although it wasn’t much of a question.

“Yes, very much,” Castiel replied, nodding and, damn it, blushing some more.

Sam smiled again, and leaned in for another kiss. Castiel accepted it much more readily, and did everything he could to show Sam that with time and experience, he would become a better kisser.

When Sam put an arm around Castiel and tried to pull him closer, however, he stiffened again, and pulled back. He mumbled something about needing to continue teaching Sam to read and write. The sparkle in Sam’s eyes suggested that he didn’t believe that was the only reason, but he also didn’t push the human any further, for which Castiel was grateful. He liked Sam, but if their plan worked, he was going to have to marry someone else soon. Sam might not assign much meaning to kissing and the rest, but Castiel did.

That woke a pang of guilt in his chest that lasted for the rest of Castiel’s stay in Faerie. He knew he should tell Sam that he was the prince he’d mentioned earlier, but he was worried. What if Sam found a loophole in their bargain that kept Castiel here? His instincts told him Sam wouldn’t do such a thing, but he _was_ a prince and _did_ have to be careful. It was one thing to negotiate a marriage contract where he had leverage and the consent of King Charles, and another to be forced into marrying someone in Fae before he could even return to his world.

The rest of Castiel’s three days passed quickly. He taught Sam as much reading and writing as he could in the short amount of time, and promised he would return with a chalkboard, chalk, books, and the like. Sam’s request for the third day was for a farewell kiss, which Castiel gave him, although he felt even more guilty about this one than he had the first. As promised, Sam then created a fairy ring so Castiel could travel back to his world.

Castiel stepped into the ring. Nothing changed until he stepped out; when he did, he was in another place entirely. The trees were younger, the light brighter, and the air was somehow…missing something. Castiel could see how humans could be drawn to the Fae and their magic; the real world seemed somewhat washed out in comparison.

Careful not to walk back into the ring, Castiel looked around to get his bearings. He spotted the tributary of the Windy River nearby, and followed it to the river itself. After that, it was not long before he figured out where he was and made his way back to his guards, who’d been arguing the merits of going back and telling the King his sixth child was lost versus making another pointless sweep of the forest looking for Castiel. Needless to say, they were all happy to see each other.


	2. Chapter 2

It was almost depressingly easy to persuade King Charles to consent to a marriage between Castiel and an as yet undetermined Fae in exchange for even a chance for the river to rise again. Castiel knew he wasn’t Lucifer, but it still hurt a little. He helped pack up his things, and made certain to order plenty of supplies. He’d have a retinue with him until the marriage, but then the other humans would leave Faerie and return to his father’s kingdom.

The night before he left, his favorite brother, Gabriel, found him and somehow managed to talk him into becoming rascally drunk. Castiel found out that Gabriel already knew about his sexual preferences and didn’t care, and he spent a good ten minutes at one point hugging his brother and slurring out the fact that at least he was going to be able to marry a man in Faerie as well as a long rant about how much he loved Gabriel but of course not in that way, thank you very much, since they were brothers and all. Gabriel seemed to find it extremely amusing.

Castiel set off the next morning in a carriage with the world’s worst hangover; he had to ask the driver to stop several times so he could stagger out and empty his stomach by the side of the road. The driver just grinned as he did as instructed. Castiel’s guards, of course, thought it was hilarious and made lewd comments about his potential performance, if this had been his actual wedding day. He had no choice but to regally ignore them.

The journey, which had been much faster on horseback, took several days by carriage. When they finally reached the area where Sam had promised to create the fairy ring, they set up camp--not that ‘they’ allowed Castiel to help, of course. His servants and advisors were determined that he’d get a good night’s sleep and enter Faerie in finery in the morning, and he had given up arguing with them a few days back. So, he put up with them ushering him into a tent and giving him a bath and a shave before finally allowing him to eat. Eventually, he laid down on the cot they’d prepared for him, thinking how much more comfortable the grass in Sam’s clearing had been.

Come morning, they dressed him in royal blue, to match his eyes, and set a silver crown on his head. Castiel didn’t normally wear one, and this one seemed heavier than any he’d worn before. Perhaps it was his duty weighing him down, however; the closer he came to his wedding, the more he wondered what the rest of his life would be like. Sam had mentioned that he, at least, would be willing (for a reasonable price, of course) to maintain a connection with the ‘real’ world as long as the Prince lived so that there could be trade between worlds.

It might actually be a lucrative deal, Castiel thought, as he let the servants dress him. Fairy magic worked in the real world. It would be dangerous for the humans involved, however. Even if they were just dealing with Sam, they were still dealing with the Fae. Then again, most merchants were willing to take potentially profitable risks.

All too soon, there wasn’t any more time for thinking. The fairy ring had appeared at dawn, as promised, and one of Castiel’s guards had stepped through to announce him (and make certain it wasn’t a trap). The guard they’d chosen for the task soon reappeared, and gruffly said, “All clear.” Castiel had been certain it wasn’t a trap, but his guards had insisted on checking.

He beckoned the guard to step into the circle of mushrooms again, and then followed him through the portal. Castiel’s other guards came next, then fanned out around him, looking alert. The servants came after them, looking around with wide eyes before beginning to stack trunks in Sam’s clearing.

Speaking of the faun, Castiel immediately sought him out. Sam was standing in a small group of other Fae; his mouth had dropped open in what was presumably shock as he stared at Castiel. Slowly, he began to look as if someone had punched him in the gut. Castiel immediately hated himself for not being honest with Sam earlier; Sam’s look of betrayal twisted his gut.

“Sam.” Castiel quickly stepped over to the faun. “I’m so sorry. I should have told you earlier that I was the prince, but I was afraid you might try to keep me here or…” His apology trailed off as a look of scorn appeared on Sam’s face, his ears laying back flat against his skull in anger. If Castiel still had any doubt as to whether or not Sam would have tried to keep him in Faerie against his will, the expression on Sam’s face completely erased it.

“You learned our ways fast, mortal,” Sam said in a dismissive tone before turning away. “Keep your secrets,” he sneered, before making his way over to one of Castiel’s advisors.

Castiel stared after him, feeling his chest clench. Sam had been more than generous and friendly, especially by Fae standards, yet Castiel hadn’t trusted him enough to tell him the truth. _Not that it matters,_ he thought glumly. _I’m to marry someone else anyway. It would have been nice to have a friend in Faerie, though._

Sam managed to avoid him as his servants determined what they would take to the negotiations with the River Queen, who had claimed the honor of performing the ceremony, and what they would leave behind. The Fae who had been with Sam were watching the humans curiously, but none attempted to interact with Castiel, leaving him by himself. Castiel occasionally looked over at them, wondering if his future groom were amongst them, but mostly he stared at the ground, only talking when one of his advisors asked him a question.

Once the decisions were made, the mixed group began making their way to the main river. A wave of loneliness hit Castiel as they walked. Assuming they managed to negotiate a favorable deal with the River Queen, he’d be left behind, the only human in this realm. From what he understood, he’d barely know the person whom he married. He hoped he’d eventually come to love them, but what if he didn’t? He knew he had to do his duty as a Prince, but for the first time in his life, he wished he’d been born as anything else.

Castiel was so caught up in his thoughts, he barely noticed where they were until the light brightened and they found themselves on the banks of a wide river. It was the Windy River, and it wasn’t; its course looked to be the same, but it was much wider, deeper, and, well, _wilder_ here than in Castiel’s world.

Numerous Fae were gathered around to watch the proceedings, but Castiel’s eyes fell on what looked like a young, dark-skinned girl with pointed ears and a frilly blue dress made of running water. She was standing on the very edge of the river, alone. Castiel wasn’t fooled by her apparent age; Sam had warned him that powerful Fae could take any shape they wished. Castiel could feel the power radiating off of her, so he made his way over to her and bowed. “River Queen?” he asked politely.

She beamed a little girl’s smile up at him, and then curtsied. “Prince Castiel, son of King Charles, I presume?” Apparently, she was better informed than Sam in some matters.

“Yes,” replied Castiel. “If it pleases you, My Lady, I am here to negotiate a solution to your riddle. But first, I bring gifts from my kingdom.” He waved behind him, and a couple of servants came forward bearing a trunk.

“Interesting. What solution do you propose, mortal?” the girl asked him, as she began picking through the trunks’ contents. She put a few choice pieces of jewelry on, tasted some honey with a smile, and then waved a hand at some satyrs, who collected the trunk and drug it off. Castiel briefly wondered where they would put it.

“We would need to work out all of the details in a contract,” he noted carefully, so she wasn’t able to seize on the first answer he gave, “But the King has offered my hand in marriage in exchange for the river rising to its usual height.”

She bared her teeth, showing that they were as pointed as the dryads’ had been. Still, her eyes twinkled with mischief. “I believe we might be able to hit upon a solution that benefits all.” She gestured to the water, and an older-looking, naked naiad rose from the water beside her, causing a few of Castiel’s entourage to clear their throats, blush, and even turn around. Castiel himself figured that he’d better get used to nudity. “This is Whorl. She will discuss the details with you, in the hearing of all the Fae present. Once you have agreed upon a contract, I will read it, and if it pleases me, I will sign it. In the meantime, no harm will come to you or your guests as long as they do not attempt to harm any of us.” The River Queen nodded her head, and then melted into water, which promptly rejoined the river.

Castiel nodded, and soon servants had set up a tent to keep the sun off of him and a stool for him to sit on while he negotiated. The naiad simply sunk down and laid out in the grass along the bank, though she gracefully accepted food and drink when the servants brought it out.

They spent the rest of the morning and the afternoon arguing over the details of the marriage contract. Castiel was extremely glad Sam had tutored him in the ways of the Fae. If he hadn’t, the contract would have been so riddled with mistakes on Castiel’s (well, technically the King’s) part that it would never have resulted in a contract that actually caused the river to rise.

Sam was among the Fae that stayed to watch, but he didn’t interact with any of the humans, and his face remained neutral whenever Castiel negotiated a particularly tricky part of the contract. Castiel found himself missing Sam’s approval as they went, but there was no help for it--he had clearly hurt the faun.

Finally, it was time to summon the River Queen. Castiel desperately hoped she would agree to the contract, because he was tired of arguing. He thought he’d done well by his King, but they likely wouldn’t know until some time had passed.

The Queen, once she formed out of the river, read over the contract, which said (in many, many words) that Castiel would marry one of the Fae presented for him later in exchange for the river going back to its normal height for the next 300 years. He didn’t know if she had magic that allowed her to read Whorl’s mind, but she asked for a pen rather than any changes when she had finished reading both copies of the scroll. Castiel had penned them himself, and happily handed over quill and ink.

The River Queen signed her name to both with a flourish, and then handed the quill back to Castiel, who signed them with less enthusiasm than determination. His advisors were the ones that were happy at the prospect of the river’s water returning, and he supposed that his people would be happy and well, and that was what truly mattered.

“Go down to the river,” the River Queen told him. “You will find a crown of flowers there. Pick it up, and then the one you call Sam will take you to a clearing where I have asked many sons and daughters of Oberon and Titania to gather. You may choose any Fae in the clearing to put the crown on; from that moment forth, you will be mated to them and the river will begin rising, and stay risen as long as you fulfill your end of the contract and produce children. Your mate will bring you back here so that your servants can take your things to your new home before they depart.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Castiel said with another polite bow. She giggled, and disappeared again, this time along with Whorl. As instructed, Castiel walked down to the river’s edge, where he saw a garland of dandelions, wild roses, and greenery floating. He carefully picked it up and turned around, jumping when he saw Sam standing right next to him.

“You startled me!” Castiel gasped. Sam gave him a not-very-apologetic shrug, and turned toward the forest, presumably to lead him to this clearing. He then set off at a pace that nearly had Castiel jogging to keep up. Some of the Fae who had been watching stayed at the river, while others appeared to have melted (possibly literally) into the trees, perhaps on their way to the clearing or perhaps not.

Castiel decided he wanted to try to smooth things over with Sam, so he thought carefully and then came to a halt. “Sam. Please, can we stop and talk before we get there?”

Sam stopped, folded his arms across his chest, and turned to glare down at Castiel. “And what will you give me in return? It would seem you have gotten the better of every bargain we’ve struck.”

Castiel didn’t answer the question directly. “Sam. I’m very sorry I didn’t tell you I was the prince.” He took a deep breath. “At first, I was afraid you might try to keep me here. Later, I knew you probably wouldn’t do that, but I was afraid of exactly this--that you’d think I’d tricked you and hate me. No matter what else happens, I swear I’ll finish teaching you to read and write.” He searched Sam’s face as he talked, but there was little if no lessening of tension there.

“What about the kisses?” Sam hissed.

Castiel blinked; of all things Sam could have said, he hadn’t been expecting that. “The kisses? But...I thought...don’t the Fae consider kissing barely more than a handshake?”

“I told you that,” Sam scoffed. “I also told you that some of us are jealous beyond words once we give our hearts away.”

Castiel’s eyes widened. “But...oh, Sam, I am sorry. You know I couldn’t promise myself to you. I’m a prince; my priority will always have to be my kingdom.”

“You should have told me what you were before you let me kiss you,” Sam retorted, although his face finally softened a little.

“If I had known...Sam, I swear I would have,” Castiel replied. “Look...I am sorry. I did not think it was so important to you. Or that you could ever become jealous of a human like me. It is not as if I could have been very good at kissing; I have never done it before!”

Sam stepped closer, setting a hand on the back of Castiel’s neck and leaning down to say, “It was not just the kissing, Cas.” He stared into Castiel’s eyes for a few moments, his own eyes an opaque green, before straightening, stepping away, and sighing. “You are right. I am not being fair to you. I told you to trust none of us; I should not be surprised that you followed my advice. And you are not responsible for how you made me feel.” He gave Castiel a reluctant nod, apparently accepting his apology, before he turned to walk further into the forest.

Castiel had held his breath while Sam’s face was in his. He found he desperately wanted Sam to kiss him, although he knew it couldn’t happen--not here, and not now. He realized, too late, that he was just as attracted to Sam as Sam seemed to be to him. If only his epiphany had come sooner; he might have been able to ask the River Queen if he could have chosen Sam as a mate.

But he hadn’t, and he followed Sam with a heavy heart. Not long after, they entered a large gathering area, lit by the sun’s reflection off of thousands of butterflies that were fluttering around the glade. There was a heady fragrance from the wildflowers they were feeding on, and Castiel had to fight to avoid sinking down onto the ground. There were probably forty or fifty Fae in the clearing, of all different shapes and sizes, and they all turned to look at Castiel at once. A few had been present when the contract was negotiated, but many more were new to him.

Castiel stepped forward, looking around. Although Sam had apparently told them that Castiel was only interested in males, as the crowd was heavily male-biased, several females were there too, as well as a smattering of individuals whose gender he couldn’t identify. All of them were eyeing Castiel, and he suddenly felt like a bug surrounded by chickens. Especially when a couple of them looked him over and turned to walk out of the clearing.

_Okay, Castiel,_ he told himself. _You can do this. All you have to do is choose someone in the clearing that looks nice, and put the flower crown on his head._ It was easier said than done, however. Some of the Fae were leering at Castiel; others looked bored, and still others were looking down their noses at him (some managing to do it from only a few feet off of the ground). There were bat wings, and feathers, and as many shades of skin as there were Fae. But not one face looked inviting, or kind. The few that attracted Castiel mostly appeared haughty.

He wondered if he were allowed to ask them questions as he slowly spun in place, noticing Sam turn to walk out of the clearing as everyone else stared at Castiel. Wait. _Out of the clearing._

“Sam, Stop!” Castiel shouted, just as Sam reached the edge. Sam turned around, a surprised look on his face. Several of the watching Fae frowned, and one whistled at him to get his attention. Meanwhile, Castiel was staring at Sam, trying to remember every single word of the marriage contract. Well, every single word of the relevant paragraph, anyway. Thankfully, he had written it twice.

_The River Queen shall gather a selection of children of Oberon and Titania to present to the Prince. The Prince shall then choose his mate from the Fae standing within the clearing. _ Castiel’s eyes widened, and he began to grin.

“...Prince Castiel?” Sam asked. He was frowning, now, clearly unsure why the human had shouted at him.

Castiel went over his earlier conversation with the River Queen in his head, and his grin became triumphant as he marched back to where Sam was standing. “Sam. Will you marry me?” he asked, holding the flower crown out and up.

There was a chorus of protests behind him; most of them amounted to, “You must marry one of Oberon’s children!” and, “He is not Titania’s child!”

To the protests, as Sam stood there looking shocked, Castiel shook his head. “No. The contract says the River Queen will gather a selection of Fae and that I will choose my mate. It does not say I must only choose from amongst Titania and Oberon’s children. The Queen said that I may choose any Fae in the clearing. Sam is still in the clearing.” Although he had stopped him just in time; the faun was on the very edge. Castiel watched Sam’s expression go from shock, to understanding, to delight, and knew he’d made the right choice--even if he had probably made a few enemies in the process.

Sam bent down so that Castiel could place the crown of flowers on his head. As soon as it was settled and Sam straightened up, the Fae around them stopped talking. The River Queen had said Castiel and Sam would be mated as soon as the crown was on his head, and apparently none of those gathered felt like disagreeing with her. Castiel barely noticed, however, as he watched Sam’s eyes turn bright gold to match the dandelions in his hair.

Sam gathered Castiel into his arms and kissed him soundly--he clearly didn’t care that they were being watched. Castiel decided, after a moment, that he didn’t, either.

After they broke apart, Sam smiled down at his new husband before turning to pull him into the woods. “I am to bring you back,” he explained. “Though your servants will not need to move much.”

“No, they won’t,” agreed Castiel. “Um. Do you think…” he glanced over his shoulder, but the other Fae were already disappearing back into the woods, “this is...okay...right?”

“What do you mean?” Sam asked, shooting a puzzled glance back over his shoulder, though he was still smiling.

“It--the Queen will still allow the river to rise, won’t she? Because I found a loophole?” The further toward the river they went, the more Castiel was worried the Queen would feel cheated. “What if my marrying royal blood is important to her?”

Sam just shook his head, and grinned. “She signed a contract with no mention of Oberon or Titania in it. You have fulfilled your part of the bargain, so she must do so as well. I did not hear everything, but you seemed to do quite well in your negotiations.”

“I had a good teacher,” Castiel replied, smiling up at the faun.

“That you did,” Sam agreed, “But you are also very smart for a human. It is one of the reasons I like you.”

“You will have to tell me the other reasons later.” Castiel felt as if he was going to start giggling, or something equally unbecoming. He--and Sam--had solved the riddle. Together. Speaking of Sam, he pulled his new husband to a stop, then put a hand behind his head to pull him down for another kiss. Sam kissed him thoroughly, until they had to pull apart because they couldn’t breathe. “Sorry,” Castiel panted. “I just wanted to kiss my new husband.”

“There is no reason to be sorry...husband,” Sam replied, giving Castiel another peck on the lips and one on the forehead. “Unless you are feeling guilty for not yet showing me what you look like under all of that cloth.” He laughed as Castiel turned bright red before setting a more sedate pace back to the riverbank.

When the two stepped out into the light, Castiel’s servants started a cheer that was only somewhat interrupted when they realized that Castiel’s new mate was male. The few Fae who were still watching cheered as well, except for the River Queen, who gave them an enigmatic smile and then melted back into the river.

Castiel felt the earth shake, and within just a few minutes, the river started to rise again. Enough of his servants had spent time on the river that they were able to point this out to the others, and the Fae seemed to know instinctively what the River Queen had done.

Castiel held Sam’s hand the entire time. He no longer felt lonely, or as if he was only doing his duty. In fact, he was rather looking forward to escorting the other humans back through the portal so that he could finally be alone...with Sam.


End file.
